17-3-24 Garand Picture of the Day

[Mark in Rochester]

Two women wearing sunglasses relax in the shadow of a Waco glider, surrounded by American military policemen

Information

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[CINDERS]

Men magnets! or 5th columnists......................

[Paul S.]

Matching jackets with what appears to be some insignia on the lapels. American Red Cross or USO workers?

[RCS]

To help date the time period, the white bars with a red border, was added to the national insignia med 1943. The red surrounding border was changed to a blue border in Aug 1943.

The photo posted above appears to me, to have the red border around the national insignia which would date this to mid 1943

[BEAR]

However black and white invasion stripes on the glider tail tail date it to 1944.

[browningautorifle]

Too, it could be rehearsals for the invasion...but I'm wondering if it's just after the fact by maybe a month? Like July-Aug '44? This would be rear ech anyway, these guys are almost all MPs...the gliders actually stayed there until the locals disposed of them I think. The MP standing left has a shotgun, looks like a square receiver too, like a Savage 520-30? These guys even have bandoleers so they're loaded for real...the pic IS labelled "Photos Normandie"...and I'm sure people would want to get out and record what would be the single most important thing in their lives. Wish there was more about this.

[RT Ellis]

My impression of this image is that it was photographed during Operation Market-Garden and the women were Dutch. They don't really appear to being detained so much as as subjects of interest, maybe awaiting an intelligence officer to provide information regarding the local situation.

As to the invasion stripes on the glider I was under the impression that the order was to apply the markings no earlier than the day or night before June 6, 1944 so that only allied aircraft would be so marked, and that the marking was retained at least for some aircraft through Market-Garden. If this information regarding the "invasion stripes" is correct then this image could not have been taken prior to 6 June, and Holland seems logical.

[browningautorifle]

Operation Market-Garden and the women were Dutch.

Holland seems logical.

I didn't think of that, it would in fact make sense. Any aircraft with invasion stripes still had invasion stripes. It was a simple ID for allied air.